Breaking broody hen /chicken attacking hen

[Chickenkiddies]

Hey all! Im at a total loss of what to do at this point, so I really hope you guys can help! I’ve gone through many threads about broody hens, etc but haven’t found anything that’s been helpful to my situation. I have 5 hens who are approximately 10 months old. I’ve been raising them together since they were one week old. About a week and a half ago, one of my buff orpingtons started acting really broody. Displaying the classic signs. I tried little tricks I read on here but nothing helped over those past few days, so I took her inside in attempt to “break the broodiness”. Each day I took her outside and put her on the ground to see how she acted and she would fluff up her feathers, stomp, etc. The last several times I’ve taken her outside, I noticed my four other chickens immediately start charging at her and ripping her feathers out. I figured she’s just still broody and they can sense it? So I always end up taking her back inside. I’ve had this hen in my house for almost a week now!

Today, I noticed she was a lot calmer when I went in to check on her, so again I took her outside with high hopes that this could possibly be the end! Once outside, I started to set her down, when I noticed the other chickens charging our way! I wasn’t even able to set her down completely! I tried sitting with them all but every chance they had they were pecking at her. I would really like to get this chicken out of my house, but I’m really worried about her safety! It saddens me to see them acting like this as they’ve all been raised together since they were just little teeny tiny chicks. Should I just released her out there and let her fend for herself? She’s been acting really friendly to me today. Climbing on my lap, etc. broody hens don’t act sweet like that do they? What do I do at this point?? Why are the other hens all of a sudden rejecting her? I really don’t want to have to permanently separate them. Any advice is greatly appreciated!! Thank you!

Megan

 

[Teila]

Hey Megan

It sounds to me like she has been AWOL enough for the flock dynamics to have changed and sadly, you may have to go through the whole integration thing:

Topic of the Week - Adding New Chickens to the Flock

When my matriarch is away being broody, she gets accepted back in to the flock without issue but others have had to return to the flock lower down in the order than when they left.

What I tend to do with my broody hens is keep them separate during the day in a broody breaker but pop them on the roost with everyone else at night time, putting them back in the broody breaker in the morning. This can help with keeping the connection to the flock.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Taking a chicken away from the flock is the worse thing you can ever do. The flock will now fight for their new place in the pecking order. All birds should be separated in the coop, never removed.

Breaking a broody hen is as easy as putting her in a wire bottomed crate slightly elevated off the floor. The hen needs to cool down to break the broodiness. Taking her in the house probably kept her warmer. It generally takes 3-5 days total.

You will need to pen her separately in the coop with the hopes the pecking order gets worked out through a fence. In a week or two I would try releasing her to see how they get along. Some pecking and fighting is normal.

 

[aldarita]

Hey Megan

It sounds to me like she has been AWOL enough for the flock dynamics to have changed and sadly, you may have to go through the whole integration thing:

Topic of the Week - Adding New Chickens to the Flock

When my matriarch is away being broody, she gets accepted back in to the flock without issue but others have had to return to the flock lower down in the order than when they left.

What I tend to do with my broody hens is keep them separate during the day in a broody breaker but pop them on the roost with everyone else at night time, putting them back in the broody breaker in the morning. This can help with keeping the connection to the flock.

I find your post very interesting since I have been thinking what to do with my new pullets this coming spring and summer. I live in a place where summers are extremely hot so keeping the broody in the coop/run is not an option because of heat stroke. I will have to separate her and put her in a broody breaker in a cool room. I thought of the idea (like you) to move her back in the coop at night and bring her to the cool room in the morning but I didn't know if it will be enough time for the other hens to recognize her as one of the flock. I also have a chronic broody who is the alpha hen in the flock, she gets taken away every month and gets put back after few days, she never has any trouble getting back in. It only takes about a minute for her to take her place at the top of the pecking order
I am glad to know that you have tried this strategy with success. I also want to apologize to the OP for hijacking the post but I have been concerned about this issue for a while. I know this is coming since my 4 pullets are speckled Sussex and it is known that they can get broody often.

 

[Teila]

I find your post very interesting since I have been thinking what to do with my new pullets this coming spring and summer. I live in a place where summers are extremely hot so keeping the broody in the coop/run is not an option because of heat stroke. I will have to separate her and put her in a broody breaker in a cool room. I thought of the idea (like you) to move her back in the coop at night and bring her to the cool room in the morning but I didn't know if it will be enough time for the other hens to recognize her as one of the flock. I also have a chronic broody who is the alpha hen in the flock, she gets taken away every month and gets put back after few days, she never has any trouble getting back in. It only takes about a minute for her to take her place at the top of the pecking order
I am glad to know that you have tried this strategy with success. I also want to apologize to the OP for hijacking the post but I have been concerned about this issue for a while. I know this is coming since my 4 pullets are speckled Sussex and it is known that they can get broody often.

I too apologise to the OP for veering off track a little with my response to you. However, I too live where summers are extreme. Yesterday's maximum was 104F and today's is predicted to be 95F.

When I say "move her away" I probably did not put it correctly in that she can still be seen by the flock, just not mingling with them because she is in a broody crate.

What I have done with a broody when it is extremely hot is below which I also used for broodies to raise chicks:

This worked as well as the crate in that she could not see or get to a nest and was still broken within days. Nights were spent on the roost with the rest of the flock.

 

[Teila]

For those on eggs in summer, I set up something along these lines where she has privacy, but is also cooler than being in the coop. The coop/hutch/tiny run inside the big one gets locked at night to keep her safe. She happily hatched and raised her babies in summer:

 

[Teila]

I probably should add here that we have low predator risk and I work from home so 'Fort Knox' is not required

 

[aart]

Broodies best broken right in coop....for future reference:

My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with fed and water

I let her out a couple times a day(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.

Feed and water added after pic was taken.

 

[Chickenkiddies]

Gosh I feel so horrible. I really wish I hadn’t taken her inside now. I read so many posts about taking her Inside or separating her from the rest of the flock. I didn’t realize they can forget that quickly I took the kennel and hen outside this morning and let the other chickens check it out. The hen wanted out of the kennel so badly I think I might build a small run today so she can at least graze a little and then I’ll put her kennel in the coop tonight. Thanks for the help guys! As a new chicken owner this website has come in handy numerous times for me! Ya live and ya learn.

Megan

 

[aart]

Gosh I feel so horrible. I really wish I hadn’t taken her inside now. I read so many posts about taking her Inside or separating her from the rest of the flock. I didn’t realize they can forget that quickly I took the kennel and hen outside this morning and let the other chickens check it out. The hen wanted out of the kennel so badly I think I might build a small run today so she can at least graze a little and then I’ll put her kennel in the coop tonight. Thanks for the help guys! As a new chicken owner this website has come in handy numerous times for me! Ya live and ya learn.

Megan

Live and learn. It'll be alright.
Don't beat yourself.
Could put smaller wire on bottom of crate, take tray out, and set it on the grass.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rates-a-good-tool-for-every-chickeneer.72619/